Survey: People Feel Safer In Downtown Duluth

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A recent survey conducted by the Greater Downtown Council provides some positive trends for downtown Duluth.

More than 260 people responded to the recent online questionnaire, and a majority of those respondents were downtown employees.

Sixty-four percent of the respondents said the downtown was more inviting and appealing than two years ago.

In addition, when asked about safety, 63 percent of those surveyed said they always feel safe, or they feel safe most of the time in downtown Duluth.

This compares to just 43 percent of the respondents feeling safe all or most of the time in 2012.

There was also a drop in the number of respondents who didn’t think the downtown was safe enough at night.

Thirty-five percent of respondents said it was not safe enough for them at night in 2012, while that percent has dropped down to 28% this year.

The downtown also continues to have a satisfied workforce.

Ninety-four percent of the respondents were completely, very or somewhat satisfied with working downtown and the vast majority would recommend the area as a place to work.

However, when asked if there were any challenges to working downtown, many employees mentioned parking.

In some instances, that was related to finding parking in close proximity to where they work and for others it was related to the cost.

The GDC and the City of Duluth have been working on additional parking improvements; from increased parking promotion and signage to programs that would further assist our employees.

We hope to have more details on these efforts in the coming months.

In addition, we look forward to two new ramps increasing our overall downtown parking inventory by about 900 spaces within the next year.

“Overall, these survey findings show a positive trend for Duluth’s downtown,” said Kristi Stokes, president of the Greater Downtown Council. “With significant construction underway, the signs of progress are everywhere. We will work to continue to strengthen the core of our city and help our businesses grow and succeed.”